Posts Tagged ‘anjaana anjaani’

WHERE ARE THE ROLES? Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Sonam and (above) Vidya Balan

They’re not studio hopping in 2010 because there’s no work

MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; January 5, 2010)

The Bollywood men are sorted. Shah Rukh Khan is committed to doing one film in 2010 with Kareena Kapoor (RA 1). Aamir Khan may or may not even do that much. Salman Khan is introducing 20-something Sonakshi Sinha (Dabangg) to audiences. Ranbir Kapoor is romancing Priyanka Chopra (Anjaana Anjaani) and Katrina Kaif (Rajniti). Akshay Kumar is serenading Deepika Padukone (Houseful), Southern hottie Trisha (Khatta Meetha) and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Action Replayy). Ajay Devgn wants Bebo (Golmaal-3)! The five or six men who matter at the box office have their screen partners more or less sorted. If they sign new films, they once again want the top five Bollywood girls to prance with them. So what happens to the rest? Well, well. “As usual the expiry date for heroines in Bollywood is getting shorter and shorter, their shelf life is cramped,’’ says trade consultant Amod Mehra. He continues, “Except the top four girls actually —whichever order you place them in — whether it is Kareena, Katrina, Priyanka and Deepika, the other girls have slipped into oblivion.’’ A top hero (from the lot mentioned above) adds, “One of the heroines is so desperate for work, she is actually contemplating doing a film with an art film actor. The reason for her desperation is understandable. Last year we saw B-town beauties Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherji being phased out. In 2010, at least half-a-dozen girls of the existing lot will be quietly shown the gate.’’ Another trade source points out that Bollywood has enough talent and glamour to keep it going. However, the men on top definitely want either the Top 5 or they want someone completely ‘virgin’. Vidya Balan says she would much rather do just Ishqiya that revolves around her completely and follow it up with one Chenab Gandhi — again a pivotal role for her. But the fact of the matter is that even a volcano of talent like Vidya is left with little choice. Honestly, how many regular films can she find herself fitting into? Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta also have just one/two films on hand. Asin Thottumkal hasn’t shot for a single film all through 2009. Post Ghajini she greenlighted only London Dreams and the 19th Step. London Dreams tanked and the 19th Step was shelved. Youngsters like Genelia D’Souza and Sonam Kapoor have promise but are still to make the box office grade. The fact is that 90 per cent of the B-town girls are more visible at advertisement commercial shoots, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, stage concerts and television reality shows. It is the money from these add-on revenue streams that keeps their world going around. Films? Well, what’s that?

While the whole world believes that Katrina is recuperating in London with her family, a reliable London source tells us that she is actually in New York. Incidentally, Ranbir Kapoor is also in New York shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Anjaana Anjaani. Coincidence? We don’t think so.

Post her surgery in Mumbai, Katrina flew off to London claiming to spend New Year’s Eve with her family. Katrina, who ushers in the New Year with her mother and siblings each year, was particularly thrilled about the family reunion this time round, because she was looking forward to playing with her sister’s little son. But apparently, family has been sidelined in favor of some companionship.

One can’t help but wonder how she planned to keep her jaunt to New York a secret. It’s a small, small world after all. When we called her grandmother’s place in London, a relative said, “Oh, but Katrina is in New York.”

However Katrina said, “I’m very much in London. It’s a joke in my family about me being in New York because I’m harassed by many calls.”

Kaif also skipped beau (or is it seriously ex-beau now) Salman Khan’s birthday in favour of New York. Ranbir and Katrina met on the sets of Raajneeti but their friendship really took off when they shot Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. For the last few months, Ranbir has been in an on-off relationship with Deepika Padukone while Katrina’s relationship with Salman Khan has slowly ground to a halt.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala, director Siddharth Anand and music composers Vishal Shekhar asked Ranbir Kapoor to lend his voice for a song in Anjaana Anjaani. Not only did Ranbir sing, but he also finished recording it in 45 minutes.

The recording took place at Vishal Shekhar’s studio in Bandra at 1am on Wednesday. Ranbir was on his way home before 2am. “He shocked both, Vishal and Shekhar. His singing was so smooth and comfortable. This facet of Ranbir was completely unknown and untapped,” says an industry source.

The scene which required Ranbir to sing isn’t a random input. Ranbir breaks into the song with a band playing behind him. The song is shown for a little over one-and-half minute.

Ranbir’s leading lady, Priyanka Chopra, was also present in the studio at around 10pm. Priyanka will also sing a solo for the same film, if everything goes well.” She heard the tune last night and brainstormed with Siddharth and Vishal Shekhar about her comfort level with the pitch of the song. She is yet to muster up the courage to sing. As things stand today, she should be singing the song in the next couple of days,” added the source.

It was the director of the film who wanted Ranbir to sing that particular song. Siddharth said, “Ranbir improvised a lot and did a brilliant job. It was my idea to make him sing. He knew about it from the time he read the script. But the scene where he sings remains to be shot. It will be canned in the next schedule in the US.”

Vishal thinks that Ranbir’s voice was necessary for credibility. He said, “Though it’s a song, it’s also a scene. We had to get Ranbir to do it for authenticity and he totally rocked!”

MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 21, 2009)

The Kapoors, the first family of Bollywood, have been known for some truly incestuous screen combinations. Shashi Kapoor has romanced both his brother Raj’s daughters-in-law — Babita Shivdasani-Kapoor in Haseena Man Jayegi in 1968 and Neetu Singh-Kapoor in Deewar in 1975, and Randhir Kapoor has also romanced his sister-in-law (bhabhi) Neetu Singh in a couple of movies like Rickshawalla in 1973 and Kasme Vaade and Heeralal Pannalal in 1978. By sheer virtue of the fact that all the Kapoor family members have ruled the roost at some time or the other, filmmakers couldn’t help but cast them in the romantic lead opposite each other.

The same dilemma has come back to haunt two major filmmakers now. Rumours have it that Sajid Nadiadwala, who is making his next film Anjaana Anjaani with Bollywood’s current heartthrob Ranbir and Priyanka Chopra, was heard telling an insider from the Kareena Kapoor camp that he would have ideally liked to work with Bebo and Ranbir. But, of course, since they are first cousins the pair would get audience rejection.

It is also reported that the Mehtas of Ashtavinayak will go on the floors with their film directed by Imtiaz Ali with Ranbir on April 1, 2010. Once again, this banner that loves Bebo because she is their Jab We Met heroine, wanted her in the lead. However, since they have had to choose between Ranbir and Kareena — both of whom are the current hot favourites — they have chosen to cast Ranbir.

But Bebo is not entirely at a disadvantage. There is a third film corporation that wants to cast her with the light-eyed youngster Imran Khan, who is another Bollywood hottie.

MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 10, 2009)

Life has come a full circle for former Miss World Priyanka Chopra. On December 12, nine years after she picked up her own crown, PC will be on the beauty pageant podium in Johannesburg as a judge for the final round of this year’s Miss World contest. “When Julia Morley, who is in charge of the beauty pageant, invited me to be a judge, I was ecstatic. There I was a teenager all those years ago, nervous as a help on the same platform. Now I’m going in a totally different capacity,” said Priyanka. The actress is happy she could work her busy shooting schedules around to accommodate this contest, which she considers a very prestigious one.

Back home, too, Priyanka is in a very happy place. Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and she are the top three Bollywood beauties who wield a certain power over the box office. Naturally, the best projects are divided between them. “This was a good year,” said the actress, “and hopefully 2010 will be as good if not better.”

She happily starts the year with Pyaar Impossible in January while also shooting with hotshot Ranbir Kapoor for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Anjaana Anjaani and with Bollywood supremo Shah Rukh Khan for Farhan Akhtar’s Don-2. “Besides these films, I’m scheduled to do a film with my Kaminey director Vishal Bharadwaj,” said the dusky beauty.

The low point of 2009 was when she cried herself to sleep after Ashutosh Gowarikar’s What’s Your Rashee came unstuck at the box office. “When you put blood, sweat and tears into a project and it doesn’t fetch you the kind of box office you hoped for, it hurts,” Priyanka admitted. But she did not rise to the bait when asked what she feels about co-star and ‘ex’ Harman Baweja making his feelings public for her long after they had split. Guess when things are looking up for her the way they are right now, she has every reason to be gracious.

It’s the Ranbir Kapoor wave. Saawariya is a thing of the past and suddenly the nation has woken up to the emerging superstar who has not just delivered two back to back successes (Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani) but also found a certain respectability coming his way as an actor.

Belonging to those rare breed of newer generation actors who have also found being hailed as stars in their initial efforts itself (Hrithik Roshan is the last big name that comes to the mind), Ranbir Kapoor today finds himself in a comfortable position in the industry. With Rocket Singh – Salesman of the Year coming up next and all set to be a success, courtesy names like Shimit Amin (Chak De India, Ab Tak Chappan) and Yash Raj involved, he must be a little relieved, right?

“Yes, I am and mainly due to the fact that Rocket Singh…. experience has taught me something which is that one can never be over and above a film. In totality, one has to look at the kind of respect that the film gets. I am sure Rocket Singh… will get all the respect that it deserves”, he says in a confident tone.

Given the fact that the director at the helm of affairs is none other than Shimit Amin who gave Shah Rukh one of his most respected characterisation ever in Chak De India, what is Ranbir’s view about Rocket Singh…?

“I can proudly say that Rocket Singh… is not just my greatest film till date but also one of the greatest films made in the recent times. Believe me, it belongs to a different world altogether”, he states positively.

Coming up next is Rajneeti which seems like an altogether different outing for Ranbir when compared to the three releases he has enjoyed in 2009. Happy to have found himself in this glorious period where different films are being made? “Of course and the best part is that all these films are like chalk and cheese and have shaped up quite well”, says Ranbir.

Meanwhile these are hectic times for Ranbir. He has been virtually promoting Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Rocket Singh… back to back. He was also busy wrapping up the shoot of Ranjeeti while also participating in the overseas schedule of Siddharth Anand’s Anjaana Anjaani with Priyanka Chopra in the middle of it all. Given the fact that recently even Amitabh Bachchan commented that promoting a movie is tougher than shooting, does he too believe in the saying?

“Ask me”, he smiles, “No really, it is no fun. Thankfully both Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem… succeeded, so it means that I continued to talk about them even after their release. Now there is Rocket Singh – Salesman of the Year arriving in a few days so I guess there is still no time for rest. Thankfully, shooting for Anjaana Anjaani acted as a breather of sorts.”

Sticking by the unwritten rule in Bollywood about actresses being on unfriendly terms with one another are Bollywood’s top actresses, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. That Priyanka befriended Shahid Kapoor post Kareena broke up with him does not help in anyway. Currently, the two are fighting over a man named Pompy.

Pompy is Bollywood’s much coveted make-up artiste and Kareena and Priyanka both want him to glam up their looks. Having worked with Pompy on various films and commercials, the girls are addicted to him. The first thing they do after signing a film is to make sure Pompy’s schedule matches theirs.

A source from the industry revealed, “Earlier in the month, when Priyanka learnt that she had to go to Bangkok for the Anjaana Anjaani shoot with Ranbir Kapoor, her secretary tried his best to get dates from Pompy, but they did not match. The make-up magician was committed to accompany Kareena to Sydney, Australia, where she was to shoot with Kajol and Arjun Rampal for the Bollywood remake of Stepmom.”

Priyanka Chopra

Kareena Kapoor

The buzz in the industry is that Kareena counts Pompy as extended family and invites him to her films’ previews. The select few who attended the Kurbaan screening on November 12 confirmed that Pompy was a part of the audience too.

Not so long ago, cousins Rani Mukerji and Kajol would woo Mickey Contractor the make-up wizard resulting in many a misunderstanding between them. Some things never change in Bollywood.